The Mad Dance of Blood
by Always Dreams
Summary: Two cats were destined for a great prophecy. Suddenly, everything changed. They became murderers, fueled by revenge and bloodlust. What went wrong? What twisted two great cats? They will not rest until their bloodlust is quenched. And that may be never.
1. They Were Once Kits

"When I become a warrior, I'm going to ask Snowstar if I can go travel and see the mountains and the salty water and the rivers and the places of sand and the places where it always has ice and-"

"Calm down, Pinekit." Finchclaw purred, licking the kit's mottled reddish-brown fur. Pinekit squirmed away from her mother and jumped on her brother, Thistlekit.

"Thistlekit! Thistlekit! Do you want to come with me when I go?" she squealed. The dark brown kit struggled to get his sister off him.

"Get off!" he said. Pinekit slid off him.

"Well, will you?" she demanded. Thistlekit thought about it, then said slowly,

"Fat chance Snowstar's gonna let you go. I mean, a warrior needs to protect their Clan, right? So they can't go anywhere, unless they're on a mission." Pinekit's tail drooped. Then she brightened again.

"Then we can become rogues and go see it!" she said.

"What? No! I don't want to leave SunClan!" he said.

"Now Pinekit," Finchclaw said firmly. "Think about it; Are you willing to leave everything you've ever known just to see some trees and water?" Pinekit's tail drooped for the second time.

"No, I guess not," she said quietly.

"Good," Finchclaw purred. "Now, it's time to go to bed."

"But I'm not tired!" protested Thistlekit. "I don't wanna go to bed! I wanna stay up!"

"That's not an option," Finchclaw answered. "Go to bed." Reluctantly, Thistlekit and Pinekit snuggled against each other in the soft, warm moss.

Soon, even though Thistlekit had protested, they were asleep.

**Well, that's that. Review please! Just tell me what you think, and your favorite part! It's not that hard!**

**Random Question Time!: Act Quickly! There's a potato apocalypse! What do you do?**

**Fun Fact: Pinekit's name used to be Poppykit.**

**I liked Pinekit better.**


	2. One Death, Two Punishments, Three Events

**Sorry this was late! DX My computer crashed!**

**Happy Halloween guys! :D**

**Amber: Oops. XP I'll go fix that.**

"Hey Thistlepaw, guess what I did yesterday! Brightclaw took me out to the forest and I saw the river and SnakeClan's territory and Star Cliff! My first day as an apprentice was so fun! Brightclaw told me that-"

"I _know_, Pinepaw. I was there, remember?" Thistlepaw interrupted. Pinepaw thought about it for a moment, then replied,

"Oh yeah!" She skipped off to her friend Dewpaw. Thistlepaw shook his head. Pinepaw was _so _absentminded. _And yet her mentor says she's doing great, _Thistlepaw thought. _  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Earlier that day...<em>

"This is Star Cliff," Redfeather announced.

"I don't see stars," Pinepaw said. Brightclaw's ear flicked in amusement.

"That's because it's daytime, silly." she said.

"Oh."

"Why's it called Star Cliff?" Thistlepaw asked.

"Because you're closest to the stars here," Redfeather said.

"Oh." Thistlepaw looked up at the sky. "It makes sense."

Pinepaw peered down at the edge of the cliff.

"It's very steep. How far down does it go?" Brightclaw and Redfeather exchanged glances. Pinepaw caught it. She wasn't very smart, but something told her that the cliff held bad memories.

After a long silence, Redfeather said,

"Um, no one knows."

"Well duh," Thistlepaw said. "No one has survived the fall."

"Right, Thistlepaw." Brightclaw said.

"Let's head back. It's getting dark," Redclaw said.

"No! I wanna see the stars!" Pinepaw said.

"You can see the stars at camp, Pinepaw." Brightclaw said.

"But here I can see them closer!" she insisted.

"Alright." Brightclaw gave in. "But only a few minutes, okay? It's getting cold."

"Okay." Pinepaw said. Thistlepaw shivered. He wished he had thicker fur. They waited until it was dark enough for the stars to come out.

"Wow," Pinepaw breathed. She reached out a paw, as if she were about to touch the stars, lost her balance, and slipped on the edge of the cliff.

Instantly, Brightclaw had Pinepaw's scruff in her mouth. She dropped Pinepaw on the ground, well away from the edge.

"Pinepaw!" she scolded. "What did I say before we came here?" Pinepaw's ears flattened.

"To stay away from the edge," she mumbled.

"And what did you do?" Brightclaw asked.

"I went near the edge," she said.

"And what does this prove?" Brightclaw pressed.

"That I am not trustworthy enough for you to let me go into the forest alone?" Pinepaw guessed.

"Yes. So I think that you not go out of sight of the camp alone for a half-moon." Brightclaw said.

"What? No fair!" Pinepaw whined. "There's nothing to do!"

"But that's your punishment, and you have to accept it." Brightclaw said sternly. Pinepaw knew she wouldn't budge. Thistlepaw came over and sniffed her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. Pinepaw checked her paw pads.

"No," she said. "But I'm tired!" Brightclaw purred in amusement.

"Okay then, let's go!"

"You each can have something to eat before you go to bed," Redclaw added.

"Yay!" Thistlepaw said. "I'm starving!"

* * *

><p>"I'm bored, Thistlepaw!" Pinepaw complained. "There's nothing to do near camp!" SunClan had a very thick, lush forest, so to stay in sight of the camp, you had to stay very near it, since the undergrowth and trees blocked your view.<p>

"Well that's your own fault, Pinepaw," Thistlepaw answered. It was his turn to watch her to make sure she didn't wander off.

"Cut me some slack, okay? I didn't realize I was so near the edge of the cliff!" Pinepaw said.

"If you want something to do, you can clean out the nursery," Brightclaw said, padding up to them. "It's my turn, Thistlepaw. You can go get something to eat, then Redfeather will take you out for battle training."

"Ooh, can I come?" Pinepaw asked.

"No, Pinepaw." Brightclaw answered patiently. Thistlepaw admired her patience with dealing with his sister. He went to the fresh-kill pile to find something to eat.

* * *

><p>Thistlepaw's muscles ached. Redfeather said he was getting better, but he didn't think so. He still hadn't managed to beat Redfeather yet. Thistlepaw stretched and yawned widely. He was about to head to the apprentice den when Blackpaw rushed up to him. His eyes were wide with fear.<p>

"Have you seen Pinepaw?" he asked.

"No, why?" Thistlepaw said confusedly.

"Well, I was watching Pinepaw, and I dozed off, and Pinepaw was gone. I followed her scent until it reached the riverbank. Then the trail just stopped. You don't suppose she- she drowned?" Blackpaw said. Anger boiled in Thistlepaw. How _dare_ this fuzzbrained idiot sleep on his job? How _dare _he? It's his fault Pinepaw's dead! It's his fault she will never finished her apprenticeship.

"You little piece of foxdung," he muttered, stepping forward. "It's your fault. It's ALL your fault. _She will never ever travel to the places she wanted to go to because of your carelessness!_" Without thinking, he jumped on Blackpaw, slashing his face. He wanted to blame Blackpaw on all of his sufferings!

_His dead mother._

_His exiled father._

_His lost sibling._

It was all Blackpaw's fault! He wanted to blame someone, he _needed _to blame someone. Suddenly, someone yanked him from the shocked black cat.

"Thistlepaw!" Snowstar looked angry. "What is the meaning of this?"

"He- he did this all! He caused it! He did! Let me kill him! It's all _his fault_!" Thistlepaw launched himself at Blackpaw again. Redfeather pulled him off and pinned him down so he couldn't attack Blackpaw.

"What did he do?" Redfeather said evenly.

"_Pinepaw is dead because of him! _I want him DEAD!" Thistlepaw screeched. Leafpelt helped Blackpaw stand up and asked him,

"What happened? What is Thistlepaw talking about?" Slowly, Blackpaw said,

"Well, I was guarding Pinepaw so she wouldn't run away, and I fell asleep. When I woke up, Pinepaw was gone. I followed her scent trail to the riverbank, where it stopped abruptly."

Snowstar considered this, and said,

"Well, we must mourn for Pinepaw tonight. Meanwhile, Thistlepaw, you are not allowed to leave camp for two moons for attacking a Clanmate, and Blackpaw, you are not allowed to leave camp for a moon for falling asleep while on guard."

"What? With this nutcase?" Blackpaw protested. "He'll kill me!"

"Thistlepaw will sleep in a nest in the corner of camp. He will be closely guarded. Someone will bring him his meals. You, Blackpaw, will sleep in the apprentice den." Snowstar replied. "Thistlepaw will be kept far away from you until he has calmed down enough to forgive you."

"But-" Blackpaw started, but Redfeather glared at him and he stopped.

"Is that clear?" Snowstar said. Blackpaw nodded reluctantly and said,

"Clear."

"And you, Thistlepaw?" Snowstar said, turning his gaze on the furious apprentice. After a long silence, Thistlepaw muttered,

"Clear."

"Good." With that, Snowstar turned and padded back to his den.

**That was really fun to write. XD**

**Random Question Time!**

**If a sheep fell from the sky, what would you do?**


	3. Lost and Found

**Hello! :D**

**TheOpenCorridor: Thank you! :D **

**Soooooo... yeah.**

_Half a moon later_

Thistlepaw could see why Pinepaw was so bored. There wasn't anything to do except for bat at butterflies and stare at the sky. _I think, _Thistlepaw thought, _that I need someone fresh air. That would help._ So he sat down and started to form a plan.

* * *

><p>Dewpaw was one of his nightguards, and Pinepaw's friend. Dewpaw was more sympathetic toward him after the attack. Maybe she would be willing to sneak him out.<p>

When night fell, Thistlepaw's paws were twitching with excitement. He fidgeted in his nest until she turned her head to look at him.

"Would you quit that? It's annoying." she said. Thistlepaw stopped and whispered,

"Wait! Dewpaw, could you sneak me into the forest?" Dewpaw paused, and said,

"But you're in a punishment! I would be in trouble if you did!"

"Please, Dewpaw? You can make up some excuse that I attacked you and were about to kill you or something!" He could see the conflict Dewpaw was having. After a long silence she said,

"Alright. Don't be out for long." Thistlepaw almost let out a joyful yowl, but then he remembered that he was in camp.

"Thank you!" he said and rushed past her.

* * *

><p>Outside, in the forest he felt a spark of relief. He could stretch his legs now! Thistlepaw raced through the forest, not caring if he was stepping on sticks. He stopped, panting, when he heard a small voice call out,<p>

"Thistlepaw?" he recognized that voice.

"Pinepaw? Where are you?" he said.

"Over here," Pinepaw's quiet voice said. Thistlepaw tracked her voice into a bush.

"Why are you covered in mud? Why couldn't I smell you?" Pinepaw let out a weak purr.

"Because, I remembered Brightclaw saying that mud disguises your scent, so rolled in some."

"Why didn't you come back to camp? We thought you were dead!" Pinepaw slowly inched her way out of the bush.

"Because of this," she said. Thistlepaw saw long vines tangled around her legs and body. She couldn't move.

"How did you get to be like this?" he asked.

"I guess I was too curious," Pinepaw said. "I saw a rough vine laying on the ground, and it smelled like Two-legs. I started playing with it and it got tangled on me."

"Pinepaw!" Thistlepaw shook his head. "You know that Two-leg stuff is dangerous!"

"I know, I know," Pinepaw said. "I won't do it again. Now can you take me back to camp? I'm starving. I've only eaten a mouse these past two weeks." Thistlepaw sighed, and grabbed her scruff. He dragged her back to the camp. Thistlepaw braced himself for the scolding of sneaking out of camp.

* * *

><p>"Thistlepaw! Pinepaw!" Brightclaw said, running up to them. She gasped when she saw Pinepaw.<p>

"What happened? What did you get yourself into?" she said.

"It was an accident," Pinepaw said. "Now can I please have something to eat? And can someone wash the mud off? It's really uncomfortable." Dewpaw brought her a squirrel, and she hungrily wolfed it down. Brightclaw worked on cleaning the mud off. When she was clean, Brightclaw asked,

"What happened?" Pinepaw told them her story. Brightclaw cuffed her gently when she finished.

"Pinepaw!" she began, but Pinepaw cut her off.

"I wasn't supposed to do that, yeah, yeah." she said. "Now can someone untangle me please?"

It took hours, but eventually, the last coils of the vine were undone from her body. Pinepaw stretched and sighed with relief.

"That's better," she said. Then she yawned. "Now can I go sleep?" Brightclaw sighed.

"Alright." Pinepaw stumbled back to the apprentice den, unused to walking.

**Yay! Pinepaw's back! :D**

**Random Question Time!**

**What would happen if chocolate didn't exist?**

**Review please! I like reviews! If you review to my story, I'll review to your story! Alright?**


	4. Badger Attack

**Jordan: FINE. **

"Well, Thistlepaw, you have missed a lot of training, so you're going to have to work your hardest to catch up," Redfeather said as they padded through the forest.

"Okay," Thistlepaw said. "What are we gonna do today?"

"We are going to practice tracking and hiding," Redfeather said.

"Cool!" Thistlepaw said. "Are we doing it with anyone else?"

"Yes, Streampaw and her mentor, Iceheart."

Streampaw and Iceheart were already waiting there when they got to the clearing.

"You're here!" Streampaw said. "We've been waiting for _ages._"

"Well, Icewing, who should go first? Should the apprentices track us, or should we track them?" Redfeather said.

"I think they should track us first," Iceheart said.

"Okay then!" Redfeather said cheerfully. "Thistlepaw, Streampaw-"

"I only take orders from my mentor." Streampaw interrupted. Iceheart sighed.

"Streampaw, what if you're in a battle and I'm not there?" he asked.

"I'd think for myself." Streampaw retorted. Iceheart couldn't find an answer to that.

"Fine. Streampaw, Thistlepaw, close your eyes until you can't hear us anymore." Iceheart said. Redfeather looked a bit miffed that the white tom had taken his line, but he said nothing. Thistlepaw closed his eyes. He kept his eyes closed until Streampaw nudged him.

"Hey, Thistlepaw, they're gone." she said.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"Because I can't hear our mentors," Streampaw snapped. "I'll look for Iceheart, you look for Redfeather."

_Like I was going to go find Iceheart in the first place, _Thistlepaw thought. He sniffed the air to see where Redfeather had gone. He followed his mentor's scent. Thistlepaw noted that it was leading toward the SnakeClan border, or, the river. Thistlepaw came to a sudden dead-end at the riverbank. _Thought you could trick me with mud, huh, Redfeather? _Thistlepaw thought as he searched the soft mud for paw prints, or a patch of flattened grass. There! Thistlepaw spotted a single paw print in the mud. It was deep, as if Redfeather's paws sank into the mud.

Thistlepaw scanned the area around it, to see if there was anything else his mentor left. He saw a very faint, muddy path going toward the Two-leg place. Thistlepaw followed it until he saw his mentor waiting near the Two-leg path, his eyes twinkling.

"I knew you could do it," he said. Thistlepaw felt a small twinge of pride.

"This time, will Streampaw and I hide?" he asked. Redfeather nodded.

"Yes. Right now, if Streampaw has found Iceheart, Iceheart would be sending her off to hide. And so would I. Thistlepaw, you have three minutes to go and find a hiding place. Your three minutes start... now."

Without wasting a second, Thistlepaw was racing through the forest, careful not to step on any sticks. He found a patch of garlic and rolled in it, hoping that it would help disguise his scent. Then he had a sudden, crazy idea. _What if I hide in the marshes? _He was about to brush off as a stupid idea when suddenly, he remembered that water disguised your scent.

He ran toward the marshes. Clumps of reeds dotted the marsh. He could hide in them. Thistlepaw drenched himself in muddy water and hid in a clump of reeds, half-submerged in water. As his breathing slowed down, he winced in disgust. The water was cold and unpleasant. _I would rather eat yarrow than sit in water, _he thought. He waited. It seemed like hours before he heard his mentor splashing through the water.

"Seriously Thistlepaw?" Redfeather called out, half-jokingly. "Of all the places you could have hidden, you had to choose the marshes?" Thistlepaw's heart sank when he realized, in his rush to hide in the marsh, he had forgotten to hide his tracks.

Redfeather splashed past him, and Thistlepaw let out the breathe he was holding, but sooner or later, he would have to come out.

Some time passed when, suddenly, Redfeather poked his head in Thistlepaw's hiding place.

"Found you!" he said. Thistlepaw jumped.

"Aw, I almost won!" Thistlepaw said as he climbed out.

"Oh, well, you did good," Redfeather said.

"Can we go back to camp now?" Thistlepaw asked, shivering in his dripping fur. "It's cold."

"I supposed we should, since it's getting dark anyways," Redfeather said. All of a sudden, Streampaw burst through the bushes.

"Badger!" she yowled.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Pinepaw was hunting.<p>

"Belly closer to the ground, Pinepaw!" Brightclaw ordered. Pinepaw flattened herself against the ground.

"Flatten your ears, too," she added. Pinepaw flattened her ears. She imagined a mouse gnawing on a seed, oblivious of her because she was so silent. She imagined stalking it, ready to pounce and- SNAP.

"Pinepaw! Be aware of your surroundings so you don't step on anything!" Brightclaw said. Pinepaw shook herself out of her fantasy and glanced around. She was able to get across the clearing without making a sound.

"Good!" Brightclaw said. "Okay, now, let's see if you can bring back three pieces of prey today." Pinepaw lifted her head. She breathed in deeply, taking in all the luscious forest scents. The smell of a mouse was strong in the bushes. She decided to follow that one. Dropping into a hunters crouch, she slowly stepped toward the bush. Then, Pinepaw pounced. She landed in the bush, and the mouse ran out.

"Foxdung!" she cursed. When she got out of the bush, she saw that Brightclaw had killed the mouse. Her eyes were warm with amusement.

"I thought we were hunting, not tackling bushes." she said.

"I thought we were, too." Pinepaw said. She spotted a bird perched in a tree branch. As quietly as she could, Pinepaw climbed up the tree. The bird sang on, oblivious to the fact that it's life would end soon.

Pinepaw inched her way down the tree branch, and pounced. She landed squarely on the bird and snapped its spine. Pinepaw felt her feet slipping. She fell off the branch and tumbled on the ground.

"Ow," Pinepaw groaned. She stumbled back into the clearing.

"Are you okay?" Brightclaw said.

"Yeah, I guess." Pinepaw answered.

* * *

><p>"Where's Iceheart?" Redfeather said immediately.<p>

"He is driving it away from camp. He told me to warn you guys." Streampaw said.

"Hey, wait, how did you know we were here?" Thistlepaw asked.

"I followed your scent, duh." Streampaw retorted.

"This is no time for bickering. Streampaw, where is Iceheart?" Redfeather said.

"By Star Cliff," Streampaw said.

"Okay. You and Thistlepaw, warn the camp. I'll go help Iceheart." Redfeather said.

"But I want to come! I don't want to go warn the camp! Streampaw can do that!" Thistlepaw whined.

"Thistlepaw," Redfeather said quietly. "Iceheart and I can defeat the badger."

"But-" Redfeather was already gone. Thistlepaw and Streampaw looked at each other.

"I want to fight the badger," Thistlepaw said.

"I only take orders from my mentor," Streampaw said.

Together, they raced down the path Redfeather took. The camp could wait.

* * *

><p>Pinepaw saw Redfeather race through the clearing they were in. Brightclaw stopped him.<p>

"Where are you going? Where's Thistlepaw?" she said. Redfeather answered,

"Badger. Iceheart's already there. I sent Thistlepaw and Streampaw to camp to warn them." Brightclaw looked at Pinepaw.

"Pinepaw, go to camp." she said. "You haven't learned enough to fight the badger." Pinepaw's tail drooped. She had hoped that she could go fight the badger.

"Okay," she said. Pinepaw raced toward camp.

* * *

><p>Iceheart was bleeding in many places, but he still fought on. The badger seemed huge, and it didn't back down. When Iceheart saw Streampaw and Thistlepaw, his eyes widened and his step faltered for just a second.<p>

"What-" he started to say, before the badger brought its paw down on his head and killed him.

"Iceheart!" Streampaw screeched. She charged at the badger, clawing at its side. It slashed at Streampaw. She received a nasty cut down her side. Just then, Redfeather ran in.

"What are you two doing here?" he demanded.

"We wanted to fight," Thistlepaw said. Redfeather gave him a look of deep disappointment that made Thistlepaw feel bad for disobeying him. He backed away from the scene, ready to go warn the camp. Redfeather shook his head as he battled the badger.

"There's no need. Pinepaw's going as we speak." he said. That made Thistlepaw feel any worse for disobeying his mentor. So he took his emotion out at the badger. He slashed its muzzle.

Suddenly, Redfeather backed up and rammed into the badger so hard that it stumbled to the edge of the cliff. The rocks crumbled under its weight and it fell. Unfortunately, Redfeather was too close to the edge too.

He fell down the place where the stars were the closest, but it seemed to Thistlepaw that they were getting farther and farther away from him.

**Aw. :( It seems that life hates Thistlepaw.**

**Random Question Time!**

**What's your favorite fandom?**


	5. New Cat

**Hello hello again!**

**Uncle Jordan: I like the plot. Not the writing.**

**I'm not good with sad stuff because who writes sad stuff when you can write about evil and murderers? *Evil grin***

_No._

**_No._**

**_No._**

_He is not dead, he is not dead, he is not dead, he is not dead, he is not dead..._ No matter how many times he repeated it, it didn't cover up the fact that Redfeather was, indeed, dead.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. The words of his mentor echoed back to him. "_There's no need. Pinepaw's going as we speak." _It was all his fault. If he hadn't disobeyed orders, then Iceheart wouldn't have died. If Iceheart was still alive, Redfeather was still alive. No, if the badger hadn't attacked, they both wouldn't be dead.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. He still felt terrible.

"I'm sorry," he said louder. He looked at the sky. "I'm sorry I disobeyed orders. If I had listened, you and Iceheart would still be here. It's my fault."

"Um, Thistlepaw?" Streampaw said. "Do you want to head back to camp?"

Thistlepaw shook his head.

"I have something I want to do first," he said. Streampaw nodded.

"Okay," she said as she grabbed her mentors scruff. "Well, see you then."

Thistlepaw wandered around, looking for something that could ease his worries for a time, that could make him forget about everything that happened. He finally found it in a Two-leg yard; catnip.

Thistlepaw ripped some of the catnip stems from their roots. He chewed, letting the delicious taste slide down his throat.

He gulped down all the catnip, not caring that medicine cats could use it to save cats. Thistlepaw felt light and free. He felt the urge to run around, and he did. His head felt foggy. He felt as if he could fly. He was free of his worries, at least, until the catnip wore off. Happiness and excitement crowded his mind. He felt good.

After ten minutes, the catnip wore off, and all the sadness and worry came back to Thistlepaw.

Slowly, he trudged back to camp.

* * *

><p>Thistlepaw wanted more catnip. He couldn't shrug off the sadness of his mentor's death. Only catnip could make it go away.<p>

_There's no more, _he told himself. _I can't have catnip._

But the wanting for it never went away.

* * *

><p>Pinepaw hated the fact that her brother was suffering. He and Streampaw had gotten new mentors, but Thistlepaw didn't like Sparrowflight that much. She could see that in training, while they were training together.<p>

Today, all the apprentices were battle training. Snowtail and Brightfang were going with them. Snowtail and Brightfang paired them up with another apprentice.

Snowtail paired her up with Blackpaw, a tom she was friendly with but didn't really know. Dewpaw was (unfortunately) paired with Nightpaw, the meanest apprentice in the Clan.

Snowtail and Sparrowflight could only work with two pairs at a time, so the other two groups just waited.

"You guys can practice your battle moves, you know," Snowtail said. She and Blackpaw sparred a few times before they just sat and waited. Dewpaw and Nightpaw did the same. As they waited for their turn, Nightpaw swung his claws dangerously close to Pinepaw and Blackpaw's face.

"You know that I could kill you now," he sneered.

"Shut up, Nightpaw," Pinepaw snapped. Nightpaw continued to slash his claws near their faces. Pinepaw just turned away from him. Dewpaw and him practiced their battle moves. Nightpaw swung a heavy blow at her leg. Dewpaw wasn't fast enough. Nightpaw's paw slammed into her leg, and she collapsed.

"Ow!" Dewpaw said.

"Are you okay?" Pinepaw asked. Then she glared at Nightpaw. "You should've been hitting that hard!"

"Well, _so-rry_," Nightpaw said. He didn't really seem sorry.

"Okay, it's your guys' turn!" Snowtail said. Pinepaw sighed and padded over.

* * *

><p>Thistlepaw bristled.<p>

"Show yourself!" he snarled. He and Sparrowflight were on patrol, and Thistlepaw had smelled something. Sparrowflight stood cautiously behind him.

"Be ready to run," she muttered to Thistlepaw. Thistlepaw didn't answer.

After a long silence, a beautiful she-cat stepped into the clearing. Her fur was a light cream with a patch of white on her chest, and her eyes were a bright, deep blue, the color of the lake on a clear, cloudy day. She was elegant. The she-cat had a proud tilt in her head, even though her ribs showed through her pelt. Thistlepaw didn't let down his guard.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he growled. The she-cat considered this, and answered,

"I am Aretta," she said. Her voice was soothing and melodic. "I want to join... Sun's Clan."

"SunClan!" Thistlepaw said immediately.

"Thistlepaw, cut her some slack! She doesn't know what it is!" Sparrowflight said reproachfully.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Thistlepaw said, not bothering to hide the fact that he didn't care. Hurt flashed in Sparrowflight's eyes, but she stepped forward.

"Snowstar will decide that," Sparrowflight said. "Come with us." Aretta followed them through the forest. When Snowstar saw her, his gaze turned surprised, then calm.

"Sparrowflight, why have you brought this she-cat to our camp?" he said calmly.

"She wanted to join," Sparrowflight answered.

"Well, then, we'll give her a moon. If she proves herself strong enough to survive, she can join." Snowstar said. Aretta nodded.

"Seems fair," she said in her rich, powerful voice.

"Who will mentor her?" Sparrowflight said.

"How about...Firepelt?" Snowstar said. "Can you notify him, Sparrowflight?"

"Okay," Sparrowflight said. She disappeared into the bushes. Thistlepaw followed her, leaving Aretta with Snowstar.


End file.
